ICE agent fatally shoots man who allegedly opened fire during warrant operation in San Antonio

One person was fatally shot by a Department of Homeland Security agent near Ferndale and Vermont streets in San Antonio on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

One person was fatally shot by a Department of Homeland Security agent near Ferndale and Vermont streets in San Antonio on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

Photo: Caleb Downs / San Antonio Express-News

Photo: Caleb Downs / San Antonio Express-News

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One person was fatally shot by a Department of Homeland Security agent near Ferndale and Vermont streets in San Antonio on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

One person was fatally shot by a Department of Homeland Security agent near Ferndale and Vermont streets in San Antonio on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

Photo: Caleb Downs / San Antonio Express-News

ICE agent fatally shoots man who allegedly opened fire during warrant operation in San Antonio

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents fatally shot a man after he fled and opened fire on them while they were serving a warrant Tuesday on the South Side.

Agents with ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operation division — which identifies and removes from the U.S. those living in the country without legal permission — tried to serve the man an administrative warrant around 7 a.m. near the intersection of Division Avenue and Ferndale Street, according to Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, with the FBI's San Antonio office.

The man, who has not been identified, fled and ran to the intersection of Vermont and Ferndale streets, where he opened fire on the pursuing agents.

At least one agent returned fire, fatally striking the man, Combs said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators recovered the suspect's weapon, and the FBI has opened an assault on a federal officer case in connection with the shooting, Combs said.

One of the immigration agents suffered minor injuries, but its unclear if he was shot or injured by some other means.

Combs did not take questions about the shooting after a brief press conference near the scene. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials similarly declined to provide details.

"Per agency protocol, ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility is reviewing the incident," according to a statement from Nina Pruneda, a spokeswoman for the agency. "The agency has no further comment at this time."

According to ICE's website, the mission of the Enforcement and Removal Operations division is to "identify, arrest, and remove aliens who present a danger to national security or are a risk to public safety, as well as those who enter the United States illegally or otherwise undermine the integrity of our immigration laws and our border control efforts."

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Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns